Bearing



I 1,639,692 Aug 23 1927' E, GAUTHIER BEARING Filed Sept. 27, 1922 @UM2M/f Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST GAUTHIER, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERN EIEULRIG GOI-PANY, 0l' NEW YQBK, N'.y Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

Application led September 27, 1922. Serial No. 590,758.

This invention relates to improvements in bearings, and moreparticularly to bearings for the connection between the pitman and slideof a punch press or similar reciprocating mechanism.

An object of the invention is to produce a bearing of this type sodesigned that it renders the length ott' stroke of the slide accurateover a long period of time, whereby the wear on the punches and diesused with the press is reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide such, a bearing which willautomatically aline the pitman and slide and thus compensate for variousmanufacturing inaccuracies in the reciprocating parts which might tendto position the pitman and slide out of alinement.

A 'further object of the invention is to provide such a bearing which iseasy to install, inexpensive, and has long life.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fullyappear from.

the following description and will be more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a punch press equipped with the improvedform of bearing;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the improvedbearing in detail, and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken r on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

rlhe drawings illustrate the improved bearing as applied to theconnection between the slide of a punch press and a pitman having avball end but it is to be understood that this bearing may be shaped toreceive a pitman having van end shaped otherthan spherical, and thebearing maybe used for other forms of reciprocating mechanisms withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 5 represents the-slide orreciprocating head of a punch press.. yThe slide 5 is reciprocablymounted in parallel gibs or guideways 6 carried by a framework 7.Connected with the slide 5 bythe im roved form of bearing, hereinafterto be ascribed, is the ball end 8 of a pitman 9, the upper end of whichis connected to an eccentric wrist 10 of a main shaft 11 betweenbearings 12 which are supported at the upper end of the frame 7 It hasheretofore been the practice to rovide the end of the slide 5 adjacentthe all end of the pitmanwith a semi-spherical depression to receive thesaid ball. The ball washeld i; the depressionv by a suitable retainingmeans. For the sake of cheapness it has always been the universalpractice in punch press designs to construct the slide out of cast ironand to cast therein the depression to receive the ball end of thepitman. During the operation of the press the ball endof the pitman isforced against the depression inthe slide with great pressure, and dueboth to the softness of the metal constituting the slide and to itsporosity, inevitable in casting, the depression was soon worn deepenough to permit lost motion between the pitman and slide, allowing theslide to have a greater length of reciprocation, than it was designed tohave. As a consequence of this increased length of reciprocation of theslide, a similar increase in the downward movement of the punches withintheir co-operating dies resulted, which burred and abraded them to suchan extent that they either performed inferior work or were rendered untfor use.v

The present improved bearing overcomes these diiculties. This bearin comrises a recess 14 cast in the end of t e sli e adjacent to the pitman,.this recess being preferably circular. but may be given any othersuitable shape provided that its bottom, is approximately flat. Mountedwithin the recess 14 is a block 15 having the same sha e as the recess,but slightly smaller as shown 1n Fig. 2, so to provide a slightclearance between the walls of the block and the recess, the purpose ofwhich will be hereinafter described. The block 15 is provided with asemi-spherical depression 16 to receive the ball 8 of the pitman. Theblock 15 is made of hardened tool steel and the depression 16 iscarefully ground to accurately fit the ball 8 of the pitman. By makingthe block out of hardened steel with an accurately ground surface toreceive the ball of the pitrnan it will withstand wearing action of thesaid balland will resist toa great extent any tendency of the ball todeepen the depression. As a consequence the length of reciprocations ofthe slide will be accurate over a long period of time resulting inllong'life of the punches and dies used with the press.

' The ball 8 of the pitman 9 and block 15 are held in place by means ofa split ring 17 havin a curved surface to fit the ball .8, the ring eingclamped against the ball by a take-up nut 18 threaded within an annularrecess 19 formed in the slide 5.

Both the slide 5 and take-up nut 18 are of cast iron and a relativelyloose lit is provided between their meshin screw-threads to prevent themfrom bindlng, due to their rough cast surfaces.

f In orderto prevent the take-up nut from becoming loose a 'am-nut 20isprovided. The nut 20 is threa ed on the take-up nut 18 and bindsagainst the adjacent surface of the slide 5, serving to hold the take-upnut in its adjusted posltion. The take-up nut 18 and jam-nut. 20 areprovided with apertures 22 and 23 respectively, to receive al suitableSpanner wrench.

Due to inaccuracies in manufacture, the fit of the nuts 18 and 20, andthe ring `17v may not be absolutely accurate nor the depression 16 inexact'alinement with the pitman 9. In prior constructions where the endo f the slide 5 adjacent the ball end of the -pitman was provided with asemi-spherical depression to receive the said ball it was found that insecurin the retaining means in position to hold t e ball end in thedepression, due to inaccuracies in manufacture of the retaining means,the ring 17 was pressed laterally to one side or the other, tending tomove the ball end of the pitman out `of axial alinement with thedepressionv formed in the slide to receive it. As a consequence duringthe operation of the press the ball end would incorrectly iit thedepression in the slide and would tend toresleat itself. The reseatingof the ball end of the pitman was facilitated due to the fact that themetal constituting the curved bearing surfaces in the slide was more orless porous and so soft that it did not adequately resist 'the thrustsof the pitman. Within a relatively short time the fit between the ballof the pitman and the depression in the slide became so loose that lostmotion occurred between the pitman and slide. In the improved form ofbearing these inaccuracies are compensated for by providing a loose fitbetween the block 15 and depression 16 so that in assembling thebearing, the block 15 willautomatically accurately aline itself with thepitman.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a pitman and the co-operating reciprocatingsllde of a punch press or similar reciprocating mechanism, of a selfaligning bearing member carried by the slide so disposed as to have freemovement only in lanes at right angles to the movement of t ereciprocating slide.

2. The combination with a pitman and the co-operating reciprocatingslide of a punch press lor similar reci rocating mechanism, said slideprovided with a depression, ofa self aligning bearing member so mountedtherein as tol have free movement only in planes at right angles to themovement of the reciprocating slide.

3. The combination with a pitman and thev co-operating reciprocatingslide of a punch press or similar reciprocating mechanism, said sliderovided with a depression having a fiat bottom, of a self aligningbearing member mounted in said depression and resting on the fiat bottomthereof, said bearing member being smaller than said depression toafford a clearance between the side of the bearing member and the sideof the depression.

i 4. Thev combination with a pitman and the co-,operating reciprocatingslide of a punch press or similar reciprocating mechanism, of aselfaligning bearing member carried by the slide so as to have freemovement only in planes at right angles to the movement of thereciprocating slide and clamping means for holding the end of the pitmanagainst said bearing member.

5. The combination with a pitman and the co-operating reciprocatingslide of a punch press or similar reciprocating mechanism, of a selfaligning bearing member carried by the slide so as to have free movementonly in planes at right .angles-to the movement of the reciprocatingsllde, said member shaped to receive the end of the pitman, and clampingmeans for holding the end of the pitman against said bearing member.

6. The combination with .a pitman and the co-operating reciprocatingslide of a punch press or similar reciprocating mechanism, of a bearingcomprising a self-aligning block carried -by said slide and having asubstantially flat surface in engagement with Said slide, said blockbeing formed of metal harder` than the metal comprising the adjacentportions of the slide, said block shaped to receive the end of thepitman, and clamping means for holding said pitman end against saidblock.

7. The combination with a pitman and the (so-operating reciprocatingslide of a punch press or similar reciprocating mechanism, sald slideprovided with a fiat surface, of a self aligning bearing member mountedin contact with said flat surface and slidable thereon, said bearingmember'shaped to receive the end of the pitman, adjustableclamping'means for holding the said pitman against said bearing memberand means for locking said adjustable clamping means.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name `this 13 day ofSeptember, A. D.,

ERNEST GAUTHIER.

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